Small Mills - Woodworking Talk

woodman58 · 10-24-2009, 06:03 PM

I am writing to find out how many of you use a mill with a 13 HP motor. If so, does anyone have any problems with it. I know it will cut slower. I have been buying cherry from a sawer by me for .80 BF and selling it for $1.80 BF on craigslist. but he is now out of cherry and does not want to cut any more. I am wanting to get a mill of my own. I found a logger that has been cutting a large area about 60 miles from me. He is cutting pine and I ask him if he ever runs into cherry. He told me he finds it quit often but it is quilted ( I guess he can tell by the bark). He says he cannot get rid of it to the large mills he sells to, so he does not cut it. I told him I would take all he can cut. He will charge me .50 cents a BF. I am making a kiln from the plans I got from Daren. I would like any feed back on smaller manual mills. Thanks

**Daren** · 10-24-2009, 08:41 PM

My mill has a 13 HP Honda, good running little mill. Can I cut as fast as some of the guys with 40 HP diesels...heck no ! Do I want to ? Not necessarily.

**Daren** · 10-24-2009, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodman58

He told me he finds it quit often but it is quilted ( I guess he can tell by the bark). He says he cannot get rid of it to the large mills he sells to, so he does not cut it.

And for some reason I glossed over that

If indeed this is the case...buy a mill ASAP if you can get figured cherry for $0.50 bft. You will have a little manual paid for in a couple months. I paid for my mill with one single log

, big old curly maple that rolled in here when I first started.

Steve G. · 10-24-2009, 08:54 PM

Never used one of them manual mills, i've used 40hp WM and I tell it's nice when doing something like cutting an oak floor and alot of big quantity stuff. But if your just doing figured wood and not alot of it, it should be good!

btw, which one are you looking at, not the HF one right?

**TexasTimbers** · 10-24-2009, 10:10 PM

I like big horsepower, but the way my business evolved, 13 HP would be fine for me right now. I have always preached to buy as many horses as you can afford at the time and I don't deviate from that, but a wise man with a plan can do much more than a foolish man with a 300 HP circle saw and a big ego.

Based on this one possibility of getting high dollar logs from this one source, ask yourself if this falls through, are you willing to hunt for logs and customers from now on? Because I have to tell you, marketing your products is a never-ending affair. Not bragging but I have it easy comparatively speakiing, and it's still a chore. Do much research. Locally unless you are willing to develop a global market. I did it but it probably knocked 12 years off my life.

So yes, 13 HP is plenty, if you know how to use it.

jeffreythree · 10-24-2009, 11:05 PM

Mine is 13HP and it runs just fine through the logs I have put on it so far. Only the 18" wide osage stump that had been out of the ground for who knows how long phased it, and that was more of a blade wandering issue than engine power. You just have to learn how fast to push. It is much harder learning how to place the log, when to turn it, and how thick a cut to make to maximize the lumber out of the log.